Ebonhollow
That was the name of this village. It was nestled in the arms of two towering green mountains, surrounded by dense forests that seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon.
The village itself was quiet, and sparsely populated, with most of the residents being older folk…. Life here moved slowly, peacefully!
But there was one thing that stood out— the people here were genuinely good!!
“Here you go. You like this, don’t you?” a middle-aged man said with a kind smile, holding out a handful of bright fruits he’d gathered from the forest to a group of eager children.
“Yay!”
“Thank you, Uncle!”
“Thank you!!”
The children’s voices rose in a chorus of gratitude, their faces lighting up as they each took a fruit from the man’s hands. He chuckled softly, his heart warmed by their joy, and continued distributing the fruits with gentle care.
I watched from a distance, nodding slightly, feeling a strange sense of surprise wash over me.
I wasn’t entirely sure why I was surprised… maybe it was because these people seemed so kind, so pure. It felt… different from what I remembere–
‘Remembered?’ My brow furrowed as I tried to grasp at the fleeting thought. It was as if I knew something, but it slipped away just as quickly.
‘What am I thinking?’ I wondered, a frown forming on my face. There was a strange disconnect between what I felt and what I understood.
It wasn’t the first time this had happened either.
It had been five years now. Five years since I had woken up in this place, bound to this child named Ether. And yet… those five years felt like a mere blink of an eye.
“Yes, it’s been five years… but it feels like only five hours,” I muttered to myself, my gaze shifting to the white-haired boy who was happily munching on his fruit alongside his friends. Find more to read at empire
“Hey, Ether!” the middle-aged man called out, laughing heartily, “Eat slowly, no one’s going to take your share, you know!” His laughter echoed through the air as he watched Ether devour the fruit with his chubby cheeks puffed out.
It was… cute!
I couldn’t help but smile softly, shaking my head at the scene before me. But in the corner of my vision, something caught my attention…. something that had been bugging me for years.
[Achieved Compatibility is 91.5%]
I frowned, my eyes narrowing as I mumbled under my breath, “What is that?”
It had been there for as long as I could remember, always lingering in the periphery of my vision. I had tried countless times to touch it, to interact with it, but nothing worked.
It was as if it wasn’t really there.
‘Achieved compatibility? With what?’ I thought, my mind swirling with confusion. But before I could dwell on it further, Ether and the other children finished eating and began to scatter for the day.
I watched them as they played, my gaze lingering on Ether’s friends.
They were children, just like him…. innocent, full of life. But they weren’t born into loving families. These children had been abandoned, left behind by their birth parents.
Ebonhollow, this remote village, had taken them in without hesitation.
The village was on the outskirts of an empire—what was it called again? Naiadae, I think. People who couldn’t care for their children would leave them here, hoping for a better life.
“Those were the stories I heard from the elderly woman,” I muttered absently, recalling the kind woman who seemed to hold a high position here. She was the one who had taken Ether under her wing.
She was like a grandmother to him, raising him with care and affection.
I glanced up at the sky, its deep blue stretching endlessly above the peaks of two towering mountains. Beyond those mountains lay the empire, a world he never saw…
Shrugging, I followed Ether as he made his way back to the house he shared with the elderly woman.
Since he was her favourite, he stayed with her, sleeping beside her every night.
“Grandma! Can you tell me a bedtime story?” Ether asked, his eyes sparkling with the innocent curiosity only a child could have.
The elderly woman chuckled softly, brushing a strand of his white hair aside as she kissed his cheek. “Haha… You never get tired of my stories, do you, Ether?”
Ether beamed up at her, his smile wide and full of love. “I love your stories, Grandma! And… I love hearing your beautiful voice before I fall asleep,” he added with a playful wink.
Her wrinkled eyes blinked in surprise before a hearty laugh escaped her lips. “Hahaha… Who taught you to speak like that?” she teased, shaking her head in amusement.
“Hmm..” Ether paused for a moment, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm… No one taught me. Why?” he asked, genuinely curious.
The elderly woman’s smile softened as she pinched his cheeks affectionately. “Well, if that came naturally to you, then… I fear you’ll make many girls cry when you grow up, my dear.”
Ether’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Cry? Why would they cry?” His curiosity only deepened as he stared up at her with wide eyes.
She chuckled again, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “You’ll understand when you’re older,” she said quietly before settling into her chair, preparing to start her nightly tale.
“Once upon a time, in a peaceful meadow, there lived a lion named Leo. He was strong and brave, but his best friend was not what you’d expect—it was a rabbit named Rolo.”
“How is that possible?” Ether asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
The elderly woman smiled, “Well, one day, Rabbit saved Lion from a hunter’s trap. Since then, they became inseparable, the best of friends.”
“Thank you, my friend,” Leo said, his heart filled with gratitude.
“It’s nothing,” Rolo replied, though he was secretly nervous that Leo might pounce on him any moment.
But as days passed, Rolo’s fear faded, and the two spent their time playing, eating, and even hunting together. Their bond grew unbreakable, like two stones standing strong against the world.”
“Yay! Best friends!” Ether shouted suddenly, his face lighting up with joy. His enthusiasm made me chuckle as I watched from the sidelines.
The elderly woman gave him an amused smile. “You know, these stories are supposed to help you sleep, not get you more excited, little one.”
Ether shook his head stubbornly. “I’m sleepy, but I just want to hear more of Grandma’s lovely voice,” he said with a sheepish grin.
She shook her head, smiling as she noticed his eyes starting to close. He was fighting sleep, but it was clear he wouldn’t last much longer.
/
One afternoon,
“Let’s go find food together,” Leo said, his deep voice rumbling as he prepared for the hunt.
Rolo, perched comfortably on Leo’s head, nodded with a mischievous smirk. The small rabbit’s bright eyes sparkled with excitement, “You lead, I’ll distract,” he said playfully.
“Today,” Leo murmured, licking his lips, “I want that cow.” His gaze fixated on the distant figure of a cow, standing by a riverbank, calmly drinking water.
Rolo frowned slightly, “I’ll distract it,” he replied, his voice filled with confidence as he hopped down from Leo’s head.
As the rabbit approached, “Hey, Cow! How are you today?” Rolo called out in a friendly tone.
The cow, startled at first, turned around. She relaxed upon seeing the harmless little rabbit and gave him a warm nod as she had a nice chat.
Leo moved silently through the tall grass….
But just as Leo was about to strike, the cow caught sight of his reflection in the water. With a startled cry, she jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding Leo’s claws.
Rolo clicked his tongue in frustration. “Damn it! Our prey escaped.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, we’ll—”
Thud!
Rolo’s words were cut off as Leo’s large paw slammed down, pinning him to the ground.
Leo’s mouth was open, revealing sharp, glistening teeth.
“W-Why?” Rolo stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
Leo’s amber eyes darkened, and a smirk crept across his face. “Nothing personal…” he said coldly, before opening his jaws wider and…../
Suddenly, the elderly woman stopped her story, glancing down at Ether who had already fallen asleep, his small body curled up peacefully.
She smiled softly, a tender look in her wrinkled eyes as she gently pulled the wool blanket over him. “Sweet dreams, little one,” she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.
As she closed her eyes, I stood there, utterly floored by the tale I had just heard.
‘What the…?’ I thought, my mind reeling. ‘Why the hell did that bastard betray him?’ The story had shaken me more than I expected, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
How could Leo, Rolo’s closest friend, turn on him so viciously?
Just as I was about to dive deeper into my frustration, I heard the elderly woman mumble something in her sleep.
“In the end, a lion is a lion, and a rabbit is a rabbit… You cannot hide your true nature, no matter how hard you try.”
I stared at her, my thoughts suddenly silenced by her words.
There was a profound wisdom in them.
I sighed, nodding slightly as I watched her sleep. ‘Her stories always have these hidden meanings,’ I thought to myself. It wasn’t just the tale of Leo and Rolo—every story she told was like that, rich with lessons and truths about the world.
‘How many stories does she know?’ I wondered. It wasn’t the number of stories that surprised me… it was the fact that, for five years, she had told a different one every single night.
Five years of wisdom, five years of bedtime tales that always left me with something to think about.
Next morning,
“Elder, we have visitors!” a voice called out
I turned to see who had arrived, my eyes falling upon two strangers at the edge of the village. The first was a strikingly handsome man with long, white hair.
Beside him stood a woman with flowing golden hair, her beauty almost ethereal. She had an air of grace and poise, her eyes sparkling with curiosity as she watched the children play.